Hood's Sedge
Carex hoodii
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Matt Lavin (www.flickr.com)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Cyperaceae
- Genus:
- Carex
- Species:
- Carex hoodii
- USDA Symbol:
- CAHO5
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 30 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Tolerates fire and can resprout from rhizomes after low to moderate intensity burns common in its coniferous forest habitat.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, well-drained loamy or sandy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in meadows and open woods
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–45 days
- Notes:
- Seeds benefit from cold-moist stratification and consistent moisture during germination.
Pre-treatment: Seeds are placed in cold moist stratification for 90-112 days. They can be placed in finely woven mesh bags and then into gallon freezer bags filled with wet soil mix. Alternatively, a 5 month outdoor cold-moist stratification can be used.
Establishment: C. hoodii is a western North American species, found from the Rocky Mountain states west, from lowlands to the subalpine zone. Mature inflorescences are cut with scissors and kept in paper bags in drying shed prior to cleaning. No fertilizer was added to the soil mix in one of the protocols.
Source: npn.rngr.net